


Another Breed of Cat

by shions_heart



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst with a Happy Ending, Curses, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Jealousy, M/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 04:41:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9219443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shions_heart/pseuds/shions_heart
Summary: Kozume Kenma is in love with his best friend. He just doesn't know it yet.Kuroo Tetsurou is growing tired of waiting for Kenma to come around.But with the help of a very special cat, maybe they can figure things out.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bibbidibobbididette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bibbidibobbididette/gifts).



> Happy KuroKen Day!
> 
> my beloved friend Pixie commissioned this idea! I sort of ran with it and it grew much longer than either of us anticipated, but I really enjoyed writing it. /)u(\
> 
> I hope you all enjoy reading it!

 

 

 

 

a cat has absolute emotional honesty:  
human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings,  
but a cat does not.

—ernest hemingway

* * *

 

 

 

"Bored."

Kenma makes this announcement from where he lies on the floor, staring up at the ceiling far above. It's been a slow week for Nekoma, the magic supply store his family owns and runs. So slow, in fact, that his parents decided to go out to a day on the beach, leaving behind their only son and the assistant to the assistant shopkeeper (Kenma) to watch over the shop. The assistant is an old friend of Kenma's; they used to play together as children and young teens, before they ended up going to different high schools and have only recently been brought together again after graduating. They were quite close before the separation, and they stayed in touch often enough for Kenma's parents to feel comfortable with hiring him.

His name is Kuroo Tetsurou, and he's currently staring down at Kenma from his position behind the front counter, grinning with his chin in one hand, his elbow propped up on the countertop.

"How could you be bored? This is a _magic supply store_. I bet we could throw together some concoction to make rocks explode! Or turn our hair green! Or make it snow inside. There are endless possibilities!"

But Kenma, who's grown used to magic and doesn't find anything particularly exciting about these options (they're completely juvenile for one), only sighs.

"Meh."

Kuroo glances toward the front display. "You could water the plants like your parents asked you to. They're looking kind of droopy."

"Meh."

He doesn't feel like doing anything his parents asked him to do. They took his games and his phone with them so he wouldn't be tempted to play them while they were gone instead of watching the shop.

"I could show you a trick Bokuto taught me."

"Meh." That was likely to be stupid _and_ dangerous.

"We could make out."

Kenma turns his head to frown at Kuroo, who's smirking at him. Kenma takes a moment to narrow his eyes, pretending to seriously think over this option. He watches as Kuroo's smirk wobbles, his ears growing pink. It's cruel, perhaps, considering Kenma's known for a while that Kuroo has a crush on him, for some odd reason. But Kuroo's fun to tease.

"Meh," he says finally, turning his gaze back toward the ceiling.

He hears Kuroo's shaky release of breath and stifles a grin. Predictably, this ends Kuroo's line of suggestions, and although Kenma's grateful for the peace and quiet, it doesn't help solve his boredom problem.

He's contemplating what his odds of success are for sneaking out and going to the arcade, when the front door swings open. He glances over instinctively at the soft sound of the bell, and frowns when he sees that nobody is there. Sitting up slowly, he looks back over to Kuroo, who stares back at him in confusion. He shrugs, at a loss, and Kenma doesn't like the feeling of unease that creeps into his stomach.

Standing slowly, Kenma cautiously approaches the door, swinging his arm out from side to side to test for an invisible person. He feels a little silly, especially when his hand passes through nothing. Kuroo steps out from behind the counter, gripping a broom in both hands.

"Is anything there?" he calls.

Kenma shakes his head. He opens the door and checks outside, but there's nobody. Bewildered, he shuts the door just in time to hear a high-pitched shriek from Kuroo. He turns swiftly in time to see the 187.7cm tall, nineteen-year-old man leap away from something small and orange that dashes beneath one of the shelves.

"What was that?!" Kuroo asks, brandishing the broom like a weapon.

Kenma gets on his hands and knees to peer under the shelf. There, huddled in the dark, glow two orange eyes like miniature suns.

"What is it? Is it an imp? A faerie? A brownie?" Kuroo asks from somewhere above him.

Kenma squints into the darkness, catching a glimpse of fur, pointed ears, and a long tail.

"It's a cat," he surmises.

"Oh." Kuroo sounds decidedly less enthralled.

Kenma reaches forward, rubbing his fingers together gently to try and coax the small animal forward. The cat stretches its nose toward Kenma's fingers, sniffing them gently. Biting his lip, Kenma scratches it gently beneath the chin. He's just about to risk grabbing it, when the door swings open with a _bang_ and a shout rings through the small shop.

"Kenma-san! Kuroo-san!"

The cat flees, skittering across the aisle to disappear underneath the next shelf over. Scowling, Kenma sits up to see Haiba Lev and his sister Alisa enter the store.

"Can I help you with something?" Kuroo asks, as Kenma leans back down to try and catch a glimpse of where the cat might be now.

"We're looking for a root called—" Alisa's voice is drowned out by Lev's, as the long half-Russian kneels on the floor beside Kenma.

"What are you looking for?" he asks in a half-whisper. "Can I help?"

Kenma shoots him an annoyed look. "Are you any good at catching cats?" he asks, highly doubting it with Lev's lack of grace and penchant for loudness.

But surprisingly, his large green eyes light up. "Oh! I'm really good at that!" he says, hopping to his feet. "Don't worry, Kenma-san! I'll catch your cat for you!"

More than willing to let Lev make the effort of running around the shop, Kenma stands and wanders over to where Alisa and Kuroo are still speaking. He lingers just behind Kuroo, as the two laugh at something. Probably one of Kuroo's stupid jokes. An ugly twist of something Kenma doesn't recognize stings his chest, and he shoves his hands into his pockets, hunched forward slightly.

"What's so funny?" he asks, once the two have caught their breath.

"Oh. It was one of my chemistry jokes that you hate," Kuroo says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Kenma frowns. It's not that he _hates_ Kuroo's chemistry jokes. He just doesn't understand them half the time, and so he doesn't think they're funny. But he likes that Kuroo enjoys sharing them with him, even if he doesn't always give the desired response.

"You're very amusing, Kuroo-san," Alisa says with a grin. 

The tips of Kuroo's ears glow pink, as he smirks. He turns to Kenma. "You hear that? _She_ thinks my jokes are funny."

"She must be a nerd too, then," Kenma mutters.

Kuroo laughs. "Says the guy who plays Legend of Zelda and Pokémon!"

Kenma's face warms, and he's highly tempted to kick Kuroo, but just then Lev steps around the corner of the nearest shelf, holding a small orange cat aloft.

"I got him!" he says gleefully, and there's not even a scratch on him.

Kenma's impressed, but he doesn't say so. Instead, he hurries over to take the cat from Lev. For a moment it squirms in his grasp, but then it settles against his chest and starts purring. It's longhaired and orange, more orange than Kenma's ever seen on an animal. He scratches the top of its head gently, and the purring grows louder.

"I think he likes you, Kenma-san!" Lev declares.

Kenma fights a smile.

"Aww, look at the little thing," Alisa coos, coming closer to see.

Kenma takes a step back instinctively, nearly running into Kuroo's chest. He stops himself just in time, and holds his breath, as Kuroo leans over his shoulder to look down at the cat.

"He's pretty cute," Kuroo admits.

"What's his name?!" Lev asks.

Kenma shrugs. "I don't know. He just ran in here before you came in."

"You should name him . . . Carrot!"

Kenma gives Lev a withering look, as Kuroo snickers behind him. "Why? Because he's orange?"

Alisa taps her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe . . . Charizard? Since you like Pokémon."

"Naruto!" Lev cries, snapping his fingers.

" _No_." Kenma scowls. He holds the cat closer, as though to shield him from the onslaught of terrible name suggestions.

Kuroo speaks up finally. "He kind of reminds me of the sun, with how bright he is. Maybe you could call him Sunshine?"

Kenma looks down at the cat in his arms. He's turned his head to look up at Kenma, large orange eyes blinking up at him. Kenma blinks back. If he didn't know any better, he could swear the cat was smiling.

_Does he like that name? It is a nice name . . ._

"Okay," Kenma says with a nod, and Kuroo beams at his suggestion being taken.

He takes Sunshine upstairs into the apartment he and his parents live in, as Kuroo gets Alisa and Lev their root. He finds a bowl and fills it with water, and then gets a plate of leftover fish from supper the day before. He sets both of these on the floor and watches as Sunshine investigates. After a moment he must deem them safe, because he starts digging in with gusto.

Kenma settles on the floor beside him, watching him and wondering if his parents will let him keep him. He's never had a pet before. His parents always told him that he was too lazy to care for a pet. "It will surely die from neglect," they said, to which Kenma took great offense.

He might be lazy, but he wouldn't let an animal _starve_.

Kuroo comes upstairs to find him a few minutes later.

"Okay, I know it's tempting, but you can't spend the rest of the day up here. You have to work," he says, leaning in the doorway and crossing his arms over his chest.

After eating all his food and drinking most of the water, Sunshine had climbed into Kenma's lap and is now sitting there curled into a ball, purring happily.

"I can't," Kenma says, gesturing to the cat.

Kuroo smirks. "As adorable as that is, you know your folks won't let you keep him if you neglect your duties."

Kenma bites his lip, giving Kuroo his best puppy dog eyes. He can see his friend's willpower crumble. He sighs, shaking his head.

"That's not fair. You know I can't resist that face."

Kenma bites the inside of his lip to keep from grinning in triumph. Kuroo straightens, pointing down at Kenma.

"Okay, I'll give you fifteen minutes. But then you have to come back downstairs and work. I'll carry you down if I have to."

Kenma wrinkles his nose. "Fine," he says, cupping his hand over Sunshine's back, stroking the soft fur slowly.

Kuroo leaves, and Kenma continues to pet the cat. It's rather relaxing, and in the warmth of the afternoon sun streaming in from the window, Kenma finds himself dozing off.

When he wakes, he finds himself slumped over on the floor, curled around the cat that's curled against his chest. He smiles sleepily, reaching up to scratch Sunshine behind the ear, when he realizes he's not alone in the room. Sitting up quickly, he scowls to find Kuroo crouching in front of him, phone pointed toward him like he was taking a picture.

"Kuroo!" he hisses, swiping at the phone.

Kuroo laughs, standing quickly and pocketing the offending object. "You two were so cute curled up like that! I couldn’t help it." He smirks, and Kenma finds it difficult to be mad, even if he is still somewhat annoyed.

Sunshine stretches and yawns, and Kenma does the same, before blinking up at Kuroo.

"Ten more minutes," he says.

"Nope," Kuroo says, and this time his smirk turns devious.

Before Kenma can scramble away, Kuroo's scooped him up and tossed him over his shoulder.

"Oof," he says, pretending to stagger under the weight. "You've gotten heavier! You should probably lay off the sweets."

"Fuck you," Kenma snaps, clinging to Kuroo because falling on his head from this height is rather unfavorable.

Kuroo laughs, starting for the stairs.

"Put me down," Kenma says then, tugging on Kuroo's hair.

"Ow! Stop that or I'll drop you," Kuroo warns.

Kenma frowns and tugs again. "I said, put me down!"

"If I do, you're just going to go back inside!" Kuroo protests.

Kenma tugs again, harder this time, and Kuroo yelps. Sunshine comes running out of the apartment to investigate, watching them with wide eyes as they approach the stairs. Kenma tugs again, and this time Kuroo responds with a sharp smack on his ass. Kenma freezes.

"Did you just spank me?!" he asks incredulously.

"You wouldn't stop pulling my hair!"

"Just put me down, then!"

"You'll go back upstairs!"

"No, I won't!"

"You will!"

"I won't!"

"You will!"

Kenma huffs, realizing he's fighting a losing battle. In the end, he gives up. He knows Kuroo is stronger than he is, and he has the advantage of height. So he releases Kuroo's hair, setting his chin on his hand then, as he stares down at Sunshine, who's continued to follow them.

"If you could talk, I'd tell you to call the police on him for assault," he says. The cat pauses, tilting his head.

Kuroo laughs. "You wouldn't."

"I might." Kenma sticks his tongue out at the side of Kuroo's head.

Despite all this bickering, there's a warm feeling in his chest. The ugly sting from earlier is gone, and he can't help but feel pleased that Kuroo's giving him so much attention. He's almost disappointed when they reach the bottom of the stairs, and Kuroo sets him back on his feet.

"Are you ready to behave?" Kuroo asks, hands on his hips.

"Maybe," Kenma says, schooling his expression into something flat and unreadable.

Kuroo shakes his head. "I'm a saint for putting up with you," he says, reaching out to tug on the ends of Kenma's hair fondly.

Kenma turns away, noticing that Sunshine has ventured further into the shop. "What's he doing?" he asks, as the cat sniffs around the display plants.

"Hey, hey, careful. Don't eat those!" Kuroo says, hurrying forward.

He stops short then, and Kenma nearly runs into his back before swerving away at the last minute. They both stare, stunned, as Sunshine touches his nose to each plant. When he does, the plants straighten, growing greener, blossoming before their eyes.

"What the hell?" Kuroo murmurs.

Kenma steps forward slowly, not wanting to disturb Sunshine, but wanting a closer look. The cat goes to each plant, and even the ones that Kenma forgot to water and had started looking brown rejuvenate instantly the second Sunshine touches them.

"Of course he's a magic cat," Kuroo says, snapping his fingers. "I bet he was drawn to this place because of the magic surrounding it."

Kenma kneels on the floor, holding his hand out. Sunshine trots over, rubbing his face against Kenma's fingers and purring. Kenma smile faintly. "Good kitty," he murmurs.

Sunshine looks up at him, tail flicking back and forth, and for a moment Kenma gets lost in those bright eyes. Something tickles the back of his mind; an awareness of some kind. He feels like he should know what exactly this cat is, but he can't quite put his finger on it.

In the end, he simply picks Sunshine up and cradles him to his chest. "He's staying," he declares. He doesn't care what his parents say. This cat is special, and Kenma wants him.

Kuroo grins. "Definitely."

 

 

***

 

 

It doesn't take as much convincing as Kenma thought to get his parents to let him keep Sunshine. In fact, they seem to fall immediately in love with him. Kenma would be jealous of the attention they give the cat, showering him with compliments and feeding him treats, but he can't help but do the same.

Things become less dull around the shop as a result of the cat, as well. Once word reaches the customers that the Kozumes have a cat that can restore life to dying plants, all sorts of plants show up in need of "doctoring." Sunshine seems happy to oblige, but being a cat he sometimes disappears, even when he's needed, and Kenma spends more time than he might like searching for the creature.

He never _truly_ minds, though. Over time he grows even fonder of the animal, letting him sleep with him on his bed, where he lies curled up next to him, and sharing with him scraps from the table whenever he can sneak some without his parents noticing.

Kuroo adores him, as well. Kenma likes the way his expression grows soft when he's petting Sunshine, the tiny little smile he gives the cat when he purrs and arches into his touch. It makes Kenma's chest do strange, squeezey things, but mostly he just feels warm.

Of course, there _are_ instances where Sunshine can get underfoot. Kenma constantly has to watch where he steps because the cat loves to rub against his ankles while he's walking, and he's nearly tripped over him more than once.

One day, while Kenma and Kuroo are restocking shelves near closing, Sunshine decides to dart between Kenma's legs for no apparent reason. Kenma hop-skips over him successfully, but one of his ankles rolls when he lands, and he falls backwards with a small cry.

"I've got you!" Kuroo exclaims, and he's there instantly, catching Kenma around the waist before he can fall to the floor.

Kenma pants softly, his heart pounding at the scare.

"Are you okay?" Kuroo asks, his own heart beating rapidly. Kenma can feel it where his back is pressed against Kuroo's chest.

Kenma nods, swallowing hard. Kuroo's grip on his waist tightens, as he gently pushes him away so that he's standing straight once more. His hands linger, slowly slipping down towards his hips, and Kenma stares at the shelves in front of him, wondering why his heart feels like it's tap-dancing when the immediate fear of falling is gone.

"You can let go now," he says.

Kuroo withdraws quickly, as though he's been burned.

"Sorry," he mutters.

Kenma tests his ankle. It stings a bit, but he can put his weight on it. Looking to the side, though, he sees how many boxes they still have to unpack, and an idea forms. Reaching forward, he grabs one of the shelves, hissing softly as he flexes his foot.

"What's wrong?" Kuroo asks.

"My ankle. It hurts," Kenma pouts. "I don't think I can work anymore."

"Oh, you don't, do you?"

Kenma turns his head. Kuroo's cheeks show signs of a lingering blush, but his smirk is familiar. Kenma's going to have to try harder. He shakes his head, pulling a miserable face. He steps away from the shelf, teetering slightly, before allowing himself to fall against Kuroo's chest.

Kuroo catches him, as Kenma knew he would, and again he's confronted with the solidity of Kuroo's torso. He presses his hands against his pectoral muscles, pursing his lips slightly. Has he always been this fit? Kenma's half tempted to pull up the shirt to see what he looks like underneath, if the muscles he's feeling are real. He knows Kuroo works out and played volleyball in high school, but . . . still . . .

Kuroo clears his throat, and Kenma realizes he's practically feeling him up. He lowers his hands quickly.

"I think I need a break," he says, staring at Kuroo's shoulder instead of his face.

"I suppose if your ankle hurts you should sit down for a bit," Kuroo says. His voice sounds strange, distant, and Kenma notices that he's keeping his hands firmly on Kenma's back, not shifting them any lower.

He wonders why he feels disappointed. He nods in relation to Kuroo's statement. "Yes, that sounds good."

Kuroo shifts him in his arms, wrapping one arm around his waist, while slipping Kenma's other arm around his own shoulders. He helps maneuver him around the boxes, then, but instead of taking him toward the stairs, he takes him to the backroom of the shop.

Kenma frowns. "Why did you bring me here?" he asks.

"Well, since you can't stand, I figured you could sit in here and do inventory. That way you can still work."

Kenma shoots Kuroo a glare, and finds him smirking back at him. Reaching up, Kuroo tweaks his nose gently. "Don't worry; I'll bring everything to you."

He sets Kenma down on the floor, giving him a wink, before moving towards the back to start bringing boxes over to where Kenma's sitting. Kenma's dismay intensifies, as the ring of boxes around him grows denser.

"Um, on second thought, my ankle doesn't really hurt that much," Kenma says, hopping to his feet.

Kuroo smirks, setting down the box in his arms. "I thought so," he says smugly.

"Shut up," Kenma says, stalking out of the room, annoyed at being caught. He returns to the shelves they were working on before, noticing Sunshine out of the corner of his eye. If Kenma didn't know any better, he'd say the cat was _laughing_. It's squeaking softly, eyes squinted shut.

"This is your fault," Kenma tells him, pouting.

"Hey now, don't blame the kitty just because you suck at acting," Kuroo says with a grin, stepping over to Sunshine and scooping the cat up into his arms. He nuzzles the cat's stomach. When he lifts his head, his grin is gentler. "I know you too well," he says confidently, and Kenma's chest twinges oddly.

"Hmph." Turning away, Kenma focuses on his task.

Later that night, he lies in bed, staring at the cat beside him. "There has to be a way to get out of work. It's so much effort." He frowns in thought, tickling Sunshine under the chin lightly. "Do you think if I made out with him, he'd finally let me off the hook?"

The look Sunshine gives him is the closest thing to disapproval Kenma's ever seen on a cat's face. Kenma makes a face right back.

"I know that's wrong," he says, sighing. "But I hate working in the shop. The only good thing about it is you."

Sunshine nudges his hand, almost pointedly it seems.

"And Kuroo too, I guess," Kenma murmurs, running his fingers over the top of the cat's head. He grabs him around the stomach then, pulling him closer in order to drop his face into Sunshine's fur. Immediately, Sunshine begins to purr, and Kenma can't help but smile.

 

 

 

 

"I got something for you," Kuroo says, hands behind his back.

Kenma regards him skeptically. It's not his birthday, and it's not White Day or Christmas. A gift any other time of the year Kenma will feel obligated to reciprocate. He has no idea what he'd get Kuroo in return, other than a kiss maybe. But that wouldn't really be fair, since he wouldn't mean it. (He still remembers Sunshine's silent admonishment from two weeks ago at the suggestion of exchanging kisses for free time. For some reason he really doesn't want to disappoint the cat.)

"Well, really it's for Sunshine," Kuroo amends, before pulling a cat harness and leash out from behind his back. He grins. "Now you can take him for walks, so neither of you is cooped up inside all the time!"

Kenma takes the harness and leash slowly, wondering if there's a catch. Sunshine hops up onto the counter, sniffing at the gift curiously.

"I talked to your parents about how hard you've been working lately, and they agreed to give you the day off," Kuroo says, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know you've been dying to go to the arcade, so I thought maybe we could go. The three of us."

Kenma blinks. "Do they let cats inside?"

"If they don't, I'll hide him in my jacket," Kuroo grins. "It'll be fine!"

Kenma narrows his eyes slowly. "Is this a date?" he asks, not about to agree to anything that might have expectations.

Kuroo shakes his head, holding up his hands. "Nope! Not a date." He smirks, shoving his hands into his pockets then. "Why? Do you want it to be?"

Kenma's not sure why his neck heats up, as he shakes his head quickly. "No."

Sunshine sneezes, and Kenma turns to find the cat staring at him. It's unnerving, so Kenma quickly turns away. "Can we go now?" he asks hopefully.

"Yep! Just gotta get the harness on this little guy," Kuroo says, lifting Sunshine off the counter and holding him still.

Kenma steps up to carefully put the harness on him, expecting to be bitten or scratched or something. Strangely, Sunshine only purrs, his eyes wide and bright. He seems excited at the prospect of going out, and Kenma can't help but smile.

"Okay, let's go," he says.

  

 

The shopping center that houses the arcade is outdoors, and Sunshine draws more than a few looks, as Kenma and Kuroo walk him down the street. A few people stop to coo, and Kenma can't help but feel like a proud parent showing off his amazingly adorable child. He can feel Kuroo glancing at him more than once as they walk side by side, but he doesn't say anything, so Kenma just enjoys the quiet and the sunlight, that's not too hot considering they're in late fall. Sunshine darts to and fro, chasing everything from birds to dogs, excited and eager to see everything, it seems. But he never tries to pull away from Kenma, always circling back toward him once the current distraction is gone.

They're almost at the arcade when a familiar and unwanted voice calls out,

"Kenma-san! Kuroo-san!"

Kenma grimaces, starting to turn away, but then Sunshine tugs the leash out of Kenma's hand, bounding toward the giant boy towering above most of the people there.

"No! Sunshine!" Kenma hisses. "We don't _like_ him!"

But apparently Sunshine does, because by the time Kenma and Kuroo catch up to Lev and Alisa, Sunshine is happily purring in Lev's arms. Kenma frowns in betrayal, but the cat ignores him.

"He is soooooo cute!" Lev coos, nuzzling the side of Sunshine's face. "He hasn't really gotten much bigger though! Hasn't it been almost a month?"

"A little over a month, actually," Kuroo says, shrugging. "It's a strange cat."

"Special," Kenma corrects.

Kuroo grins. "That too."

Alisa steps forward, looking radiant in a blue sundress and white cardigan. Kenma notices the way Kuroo's expression shifts when he looks at her, and that ugly feeling is back, twisting deeper than before.

"We were just doing some errands," she says with a smile. "Where are you headed?"

"The arcade," Kuroo says, hands in his pockets. He straightens his shoulders and smirks faintly, no doubt trying to look cool. (Kenma wonders if he should tell Alisa that just yesterday he laughed so hard at his own joke that milk came out of his nose.) "We're going to sneak the little guy in," he adds, leaning in to lower his voice conspiratorially.

"Ooh, exciting," Alisa says, her eyes flashing with mischief. "How were you going to do it?"

"Like this," Kuroo says, taking the cat from Lev and tucking him under his arm in his jacket. He zips it up then, leaving just the top part open. "Ta-da!"

Kenma rolls his eyes, even as Alisa claps happily.

"That's clever!" 

"You look like you have a growth," Kenma says irritably.

Kuroo looks at him, his grin slipping slightly, as puzzlement clouds his expression. Kenma turns away quickly.

"The arcade sounds like fun! Can we go too?!" Lev asks.

Kenma frowns. He's about to say no, when Alisa speaks up.

"Oh, that does sound fun!"

"Let's go then," Kuroo says, grinning brightly once more, and Kenma resists the urge to kick him.

"We should have teams!" Alisa says, as they step through the doors. "The team with the highest score at the end of the night wins!"

"I want to be on Kenma-san's team!" Lev cries, grabbing Kenma's wrist and pulling it into the air.

Kenma looks to Kuroo for help, but he's already smirking at Alisa. "I guess that puts you and me together, my lady," he says, bowing slightly and holding out his free hand.

Alisa takes it with a giggle, and Kenma's never wanted to murder someone so much in his life.

Sunshine sticks his head out of the neck of Kuroo's jacket, staring at Kenma almost worriedly. Kenma's stomach flips, and he pulls away from Lev in order to reach into Kuroo's jacket.

"I get Sunshine, then," he says, pulling the cat out and holding him close. Sunshine nuzzles his head against Kenma's neck, and for some reason Kenma feels like crying.

He pushes the urge back as best he can, carefully tucking the small cat into his own jacket. Kuroo's already gone off with Alisa, saying they should meet back here in two hours to compare scores. Lev takes off in the other direction, leaving Kenma to follow with a sour taste in his mouth.

  

 

 

One hour later, Kenma's closer than ever to murdering someone, and that someone could very likely be Lev.

After botching nearly every game he tries, Lev decided to try the dance one. He's surprisingly good at it, but it's too much effort for Kenma, so he takes the opportunity to retreat into the bathroom, pulling Sunshine out to give him some space to breathe.

"I hate him," Kenma declares, watching as Sunshine inspects the bathroom. He isn't sure if he's talking about Lev or Kuroo, but he feels strongly annoyed with both of them in either case.

Today was supposed to be his day off to _enjoy_ himself. He was looking forward to finally having some fun, and instead he gets Lev, while his best friend abandons him to probably make out somewhere with Lev's sister.

Kenma grimaces, as _that_ mental picture makes him feel ill.

He knows it probably shouldn't matter so much. Kuroo's free to go out with whoever he likes, after all. But today was supposed to be about _them_ hanging out, with Sunshine. _Kenma_ was supposed to compete side by side with Kuroo. _Kenma_ was supposed to make Kuroo laugh and act like a total dork. _Kenma_ was supposed to—

He cuts himself off, shaking his head to clear it. _It doesn't matter. He's not mine, and I'm not his._

For some reason, his heart feels like a stone sinking further and further in his chest.

"Sunshine, you're mine, right? And I'm yours?"

Sunshine hops up onto his lap. He sets his front paws on Kenma's chest, leaning up to bump his nose lightly against Kenma's. Kenma grabs him and holds him close, nuzzling into his soft fur, as he stifles a sob.

 _It doesn't matter_.

 

 

 

When the two hours are up, Kenma and Lev are woefully behind. Kuroo and Alisa arrive to the meeting spot, both of them wearing giant grins.

"This girl really gave me a run for my money!" Kuroo laughs.

"I had no idea Kuroo-san was so competitive," Alisa admits, she holds out the piece of paper with their total score with a flourish.

"WHOA! That's a super high score!" Lev says, his eyes wide. "We didn't make anywhere near that!"

Kenma clutches his paper with his hard-earned score in his hand tightly. He made a lot more than Lev, to be sure, but it's clear that neither of them beat Kuroo and Alisa.

"Hey," Kuroo says, stepping up to look down at Kenma. "Come on, I'll get you a prize. Anything you want."

"A consolation prize?" Kenma asks bitterly.

Kuroo's grin disappears, and he tilts his head, as concern enters his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm _fine_." Turning, Kenma crumples up the paper and tosses it into the nearest trashcan, as he stalks out the door.

Sunshine mews softly in his jacket, but Kenma doesn't let him out. Instead, he breaks into a run.

Kuroo doesn't follow him.

 

 

***

 

 

Kenma tries his best to forget about the incident at the arcade. When Kuroo returns, he doesn't bring it up, and so Kenma doesn't either. Still, it becomes clear that there's an underlying tension between them. One even Sunshine can sense, as he keeps walking between the two in the space they've created between themselves as they work, meowing piteously and flicking his tail back and forth.

The plants that Sunshine healed start to droop. Kenma waters them, but they don't return to the same vividness as before. Finally, Kenma picks up Sunshine and cradles him to his chest.

"It's okay," he tells him. "Kuroo and I are fine. I'll get over it. So don't be sad, okay?"

Sunshine mewls softly, rubbing his head beneath Kenma's chin.

In his own way, the cat tries to help. He knocks over a jar on the shelf, causing both Kenma and Kuroo to leap for it. Kuroo catches it, Kenma's hand directly beneath his, and they make eye contact briefly, before they both turn away. Kenma's heart aches, and he knows he's being petty, but he doesn't even know _why_ he felt that way at the arcade, and so it's not like he can explain himself.

Another time, Sunshine yowls loudly, like he'd gotten hurt. Kuroo and Kenma race to investigate, and Sunshine dashes between Kenma's legs, causing him to fall into Kuroo, just like when he first arrived.

Only this time, Kuroo sets him upright immediately and returns to work.

But Sunshine is nothing if not tenacious, and in a final attempt to get them to work things out, he knocks over a box in the backroom and, when the two go to clean it up, he somehow shuts the door behind them.

Kuroo tries to open it and finds that something's blocking the door.

"I think he knocked a chair over," Kuroo says, peering through the crack between the door and the wall.

Kenma holds himself tightly.

Kuroo pauses, looking back at him. "I can easily open this," he says slowly. "With enough force I can shove it back easily, but I think the cat wants us to talk things out."

Kenma snorts, rolling his eyes. "That's stupid," he says, even though he knows it's likely the case.

"Why are you mad at me?" Kuroo asks, lifting his hands to the side. "Is it because I left you with Lev at the arcade? I'm sorry about that. I didn't think it would be such a big deal."

"I hate him," Kenma hisses.

"No, you don't," Kuroo says, shaking his head. "At least, I thought he might grow on you. He's not a bad kid." He sighs, running a hand through his crazy bed-head of hair. "And anyway, that was two weeks ago. Are you seriously still mad?"

"No," Kenma grumbles. And he's not. If anything, he's angry with himself for not being able to figure out why he felt so jealous of Kuroo going off with Alisa. He's recognized the feeling as jealousy, but it doesn't make any _sense_. He knows Kuroo is his best friend, that it's likely nothing will change that. So why did him going off with Alisa bother him so much?

"Okay, so then can we stop this? I miss my best friend," Kuroo says, stepping forward and touching Kenma's arm lightly.

Kenma stares at the floor. His chest hurts, and he presses his lips in a firm line. "I miss you too," he mumbles.

Kuroo tilts his head. "What? What was that? I didn't quite catch it."

Kenma glares at him, even as he lifts his head and repeats clearly, "I miss you too."

Kuroo grins, triumphant, and Kenma's heartbeat quickens.

"We'll go again," he says, reaching out to tug on the ends of Kenma's hair. "Just the two of us, this time. I promise."

"And Sunshine," Kenma reminds him.

Kuroo laughs. "Yes, of course."

"Tomorrow?" Kenma asks hopefully. They're both off tomorrow, as it's Sunday.

Kuroo's grin shifts into a grimace. "Oh. Sorry, I can't. I'm going out with Alisa tomorrow."

Kenma's veins turn to ice. He blinks rapidly, wondering if he heard that correctly. "What?"

Kuroo rubs the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. "Um, yeah," he says. "We've kind of been texting and stuff since the arcade. She asked me if I wanted to get some ice cream tomorrow."

"It's almost winter."

Kuroo shrugs. "It's not too cold for ice cream."

Kenma hears static. He stares up at Kuroo, as anger and betrayal cut through him. Even as he feels these things, however, he knows he's wrong. He has no claim to Kuroo. Kuroo can date Alisa if he wants to. Kenma has no reason to tell him no.

Except, doesn't he? Kuroo's only ever crushed on _Kenma_. That crush has been there for ages. Kenma's always been the light in Kuroo's eye. His favorite. He's had monopoly over Kuroo's attention for years. And now . . .

Now he's losing that, and that fact _upsets_ him.

"You can't go out with her," Kenma blurts out before he can stop himself.

Kuroo lifts an eyebrow. "I can't?"

Kenma shakes his head. "You don't like her."

Kuroo frowns. "I do like her."

"No, you don't. You like me. You've always liked me." Kenma's chest squeezes painfully around his heart, and it's getting difficult to breathe.

Kuroo's expression shutters closed, and his lips form a thin line. "Kenma," he says firmly. "If I asked you out right now, would you say yes?"

Kenma blinks rapidly, not having expected the question. "I-I—" he stammers, lost. He has no idea. He doesn't know if he likes Kuroo in that way. He's never sat down and considered it. All he knows is that Kuroo's been a constant in his life for as long as he can remember. It's always been Kuroo and Kenma, Kenma and Kuroo. He _can't_ lose him.

Kuroo takes a step back. "Yeah. I thought so," he says. He sighs, shaking his head. "I'm going out with Alisa, Kenma. I like her, and she likes me. I'm still going to be your friend. I'm not . . . abandoning you or anything." He frowns. "But you can't keep me tethered to you exclusively just because you don't want to be alone. That's not fair, Kenma."

"I-I'll do anything," Kenma says, stepping closer. "I'll give you anything. I'll give you this!"

He flings himself forward, grabbing Kuroo's shirt and yanking him closer, as he rises on his toes to press his lips against Kuroo's. The kiss is hard, desperate. He can feel his body shaking, as he grabs Kuroo's hand, placing it on his hip. When Kuroo doesn't grab hold of it, he shoves it further down to cup his ass.

"You want this, I know you want this," Kenma murmurs quickly against Kuroo's unmoving lips. "You can have it. Just . . . stay with me. Please. _Please_." He feels Kuroo's fingers twitching, and the hope of victory tingles through him.

"Kenma—"

Kenma bites down on Kuroo's lower lip, moving his other hand between them to start unfastening Kuroo's jeans.

"Kenma." Kuroo's voice is clearer now, sharper. He moves his hand from Kenma's ass to grab his wrist at his waistband, holding it fast. " _Stop_."

Tears burn the corners of Kenma's eyes. Kuroo steps back, putting distance between them. The hand holding Kenma's wrist trembles.

"Stop," he says again, gentler.

Kenma stares at the floor between them, an ocean roaring in his ears.

"You can't do this, Kenma," he says, and Kenma can hear the agony lacing his tone. It feels like someone has stabbed him in the chest, listening to it. "You can't use my feelings for you to keep me close. It's cruel. I've tolerated your teasing and your attempts at manipulating me because I thought . . . I don't know. That you'd come around or something. It was harmless. But this . . . this isn't right. This isn't what I want."

Slowly, he releases him, and Kenma lets his hand fall back to his side.

"I know you're scared," Kuroo says softly. "But I promise I'm not going anywhere. So please, don't be selfish. Let me move on."

Kuroo's fingers brush his cheek with a tender touch. Kenma resists the urge to lean into it, to grab it and hold it there forever. Instead, he stands still as a statue, not moving even when Kuroo steps closer to press a small kiss on his hairline.

When Kenma looks up, Kuroo's gone and the door is open. Sunshine sits just beyond it, staring at him with wide eyes. Kenma collapses to the floor. He feels as though he's being ripped apart, and he buries his face in his hands, gritting his teeth against the sobs that threaten to push through. In trying to keep Kuroo, in trying to satisfy his own needs, he did the one thing he's never, ever wanted to do.

_I hurt him._

Something soft and warm brushes against him, and Sunshine mews plaintively. An apology, maybe. Kenma picks him up carefully, using his fur to hide his tears. He feels a rough tongue lick his temple, and a shudder runs through him.

"I screwed up. I screwed everything up," Kenma tells him miserably.

He doesn't want to go back out there where Kuroo's no doubt still working, being the loyal, kind person that he is, so Kenma remains on the floor holding Sunshine until closing. The cat doesn't try to leave, only nuzzles Kenma's face and neck, licking them occasionally, and purring comfortingly.

That night, Kenma's parents can tell something's wrong, but he doesn't explain anything. Instead, he foregoes supper and goes straight to his room, Sunshine trotting along behind him. Once he's ready for bed, he climbs in and holds Sunshine close.

"Thank you for staying with me," he says, even as guilt cuts through him like a knife. He places a soft kiss on Sunshine's forehead.

Sunshine makes a strange noise, somewhere between a yelp and a meow. Hopping off the bed, he shakes his head rapidly, swatting at it with his paw. Kenma frowns, sitting up on one elbow.

"Sunshine?"

In the dark of the room, a soft glow begins to radiate from Sunshine's fur. Kenma stares, wide-eyed, as the glow grows brighter. Eventually, he has to shield his eyes from it, and when he looks back . . .

Sunshine is gone.

 

 

***

 

 

Kenma tries not to worry. Cats can be finicky creatures. It's likely Sunshine ran off to hunt or something. But when the morning passes into afternoon and there's still no sign of the cat, Kenma's concern grows.

He searches the entire apartment and the store below. He goes outside, calling up and down the street, despite the stares. But before long the truth becomes evident: Sunshine is missing.

And as Kenma sinks to the floor behind the front counter in despair, there's only one person he wants to call. He knows he shouldn't. He knows Kuroo is on his date right now, and after what happened yesterday . . .

But no, this is an emergency. And it's not even about Kenma, it's about Sunshine! Who knows where the cat could be? He could be hurt or stuck in a tree or . . . (no, Kenma won't think dead. He won't.)

The phone rings three times before Kuroo picks up.

"Kenma," he says warily. "I'm kind of busy right now."

"Kuro," Kenma gasps, the childhood nickname slipping out before he can stop it. "I-It's Sunshine. I can't find him anywhere. I think something happened to him." He remembers the glowing from last night. What had that been? Had the kiss done something? Had Kenma inadvertently hurt him?

_I keep hurting the ones I care about most . . ._

"Where are you?" Kuroo sounds more alert now, focused.

Hope springs into Kenma's chest, and he sits up straighter. "I-I'm at the shop. Something happened last night. I kissed his head and then he started glowing . . . I think I did something bad again. I'm sorry, Kuro. I-I'm sorry." He sniffles, fighting back tears. "I know I fucked up yesterday. I shouldn't have said or done any of that. It was wrong and selfish and-and all those words you said. And I know I don't deserve your help, but I-I really need you."

He bites his lip, pretty sure that's the most he's spoken in a while. Now he waits, hiccupping softly on the breaths that keep catching on his tears.

It feels like an eternity before Kuroo speaks again, his voice soft.

"I'm on my way."

Kenma barely stifles the sob of relief that wracks his body, as he falls back against the counter behind him. He sets his phone beside him and presses his palms into his eyes.

_I haven't lost him yet. I can still fix this._

It's another fifteen minutes before Kuroo arrives. Kenma only knows he's there once he feels a hand on his arm pulling it down. Kenma turns red-rimmed eyes onto Kuroo, and when he sees the concern there, he very nearly breaks down again. Instead, he starts to tremble.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

He repeats this mantra, even when Kuroo reaches forward and envelopes him in his arms. He holds him close, fingers curling into Kenma's hoodie, and Kenma clings to Kuroo, hands grasping at his jacket. He scrambles to tighten his grip, gasping for breath. It feels like he's drowning, the pressure on his chest getting heavier with each inhale.

"Shh," Kuroo murmurs, one hand moving to the back of Kenma's head. He strokes his hair soothingly. "Shh. Calm down. Breathe. You're okay. You're okay."

It's a full minute before Kenma's calm enough to pull back.

"Sunshine," he croaks, his voice hoarse from his tears. "I-I don't know what happened. He started glowing and then he was gone. And-and I've looked everywhere, and I can't find him. I can't find him, Kuro."

"Okay, okay," Kuroo says, taking his face between his hands. "We'll go look for him. We won't stop until we find him. Okay?"

Kenma nods quickly.

"Can you stand?"

This requires some evaluation, but eventually Kenma nods. Kuroo straightens, grabbing Kenma's hands and pulling him to his feet. He releases him immediately, and Kenma mourns the loss. He sticks his hands into his hoodie pockets quickly, glancing around for Alisa but seeing no sign of her.

"Where's—"

"She went home," Kuroo says, leading the way out of the door.

Kenma falls silent, unsure whether to apologize or not. He doesn't know the full details of what happened. Before he can say anything, though, Kuroo turns to give him a rueful smile.

"To be honest, I don't think it was going to go anywhere. Halfway through, I realized that after chemistry and volleyball, the only thing I cared enough to talk about at great length was you. Kind of a mood killer."

Kenma stares at the ground, as they step out into the street.

"Turns out, though, that she had someone she couldn't stop thinking about too. I guess we're both not quite ready to move on."

Kenma looks up to find Kuroo smiling at him. The tenderness in his expression feels like a blade cutting through Kenma's soul. But not necessarily in a bad way.

_Oh._

Kuroo walks on ahead, calling for Sunshine. Kenma watches him from where he stopped, reaching up to touch his chest lightly. His heart is pounding rapidly, and he feels a little lightheaded.

_Is this . . ._

"Kenma!" Kuroo beckons to him. "Come on, we don't have very long until it gets dark!"

Kenma hurries forward, leaving that thought behind.

 

 

 

They search as much of the city as they can, calling for Sunshine and asking everyone around if they've seen the small, bright orange cat. As the sun starts to set, they're no closer to finding him than they were before, and they have to turn back, dejected.

"We'll try again tomorrow," Kuroo says, giving Kenma's shoulder a firm squeeze.

As it falls away, Kenma grabs it, stopping them both in their tracks. Kuroo turns to him, his expression guarded. That hurts, and Kenma releases his hand.

"Thank you," he says softly, staring at Kuroo's feet. "I-I know I don't say it enough or . . . ever, really. But . . . thank you."

Kuroo sighs softly. "You don't have to thank me for anything, Kenma." Stepping forward, he kisses the top of Kenma's head lightly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Kenma nods dumbly.

His parents make him an apple pie to try and cheer him up, but it tastes like wood in Kenma's mouth. His mind swirls around thoughts of Sunshine and of Kuroo, of the kiss and the realization he had on the street.

He doesn't think he'll be able to sleep, but exhaustion kicks in a little after midnight, and the thoughts finally settle.

 

 

***

 

 

The next day, Kenma's parents insist they work at least a half-day, before they go out to search for Sunshine. Kenma's irritable as a result, but he does his best to keep that annoyance from projecting onto Kuroo. He doesn't deserve that.

Still, he's grumpy, and having to look at the plants in the window display and how they're starting to droop again doesn't help.

"You're going to have to start watering them again," Kuroo says, following his gaze.

Kenma sighs, not moving from where he's sitting at the counter, one elbow on the countertop, chin in his hand. Kuroo shakes his head at him, but he doesn't push like he normally would.

Instead, he joins him, leaning against the counter and mimicking Kenma's pose.

"Yeah, I don't feel like doing much either," he admits.

Silence falls, and Kenma thinks back to what he concluded last night after he went over the revelation he had. It hurts like hell, but he knows it's the right thing to do. He has to do it. For Kuroo.

"If you want to go out with Alisa again, or anyone really, I won't be upset."

Kuroo gives him a sidelong look, raising an eyebrow.

Kenma huffs. "Okay, I _might_ be upset. But . . . you're my best friend, and you deserve to be happy." He lowers his gaze to the countertop, staring at the grooves in the wood. "I-I don't want to make you miserable."

Kuroo doesn't reply for a moment. "Thanks," he says finally, turning his gaze toward the door once more.

"Do you think he's okay?" Kenma asks softly, after a few minutes have passed.

"He survived on his own before, so we gotta believe he can again."

"But . . . I don't understand why he ran off in the first place. I thought he liked it here." _I thought he liked me . . ._

Kuroo shrugs. "Cats are weird."

The bell above the door jingles, as it swings open. Kenma doesn't look from the plants, as Kuroo straightens to greet the customer.

"KENMA! KUROO!"

Kenma grimaces at the high-pitched squawk. He turns, frowning, to see a young man standing in the center of the shop, grinning widely. He has bright orange hair, and big orange-brown eyes that seem somewhat familiar, though Kenma's sure he's never seen this guy before in his life.

He narrows his eyes. "Yes?"

"Oh good! It _is_ you! I thought it was, but you're so much smaller now!"

Kenma blinks, bewildered.

Kuroo laughs abruptly. "What the hell? Who are you calling small, Shrimpy?"

The boy looks between them, his grin wobbling slightly. "Don't you recognize me?" he asks expectantly.

"Are we supposed to?" Kenma asks blankly.

"Kenmaaaaaa," the boy whines. "It's only been two days!"

Kenma stares.

Suddenly, the boy smacks his forehead. "Oh! Duh! Of course you wouldn't recognize me! Not in this form!" He runs over to the plants by the window. "I bet you'll recognize this though!" With a grin, he touches his finger to the plant nearest him. Immediately, the leaves grow greener, and the old petals on the flower fall away to make room for the new one that blossoms in its place.

Kuroo's jaw drops. "No. Fucking. Way."

Kenma's brain tells him that what he's seeing doesn't make sense, but there's no denying it. Putting together the orange hair, those bright eyes, and the fact that he has the same power as the cat . . .

"Sunshine?" he asks, sitting up straight.

"Yeah! That's me!" the boy cries, pumping his fist in the air. "I was cursed before, but you broke it, Kenma! You broke it with your kiss!" He grins happily. "And now I can hug you for real!"

He runs forward, faster than Kenma can back away, and ducks around the counter in order to fling his arms around Kenma's neck. He's a little shorter than him, but not by much, and his grip is firm.

Kenma doesn't know what to do. He's overwhelmed with all this new and impossible information. Kuroo notices his frozen state and grabs the boy's shoulder to peel him off.

"Let's slow down a bit," he suggests. "Start with your name and how you became a cat."

"Oh! Yeah! My name is Hinata Shouyou! I became a cat because, well, it's kinda complicated, but there was this witch who was super grumpy, and I tried to make her garden grow faster so she would feel better! But, I kind of went too far and the plants sorta ate her house. She was really mad and turned me into a cat. She said a kiss from someone who loved me would break it, but none of my family knew it was me! and I couldn't talk so . . . I just kind of ran around trying to find an owner who could break the curse, and then I found you, Kenma! And I really liked you. You took care of me, even though you were lazy, so I knew you liked me too. And then your kiss broke the curse! _Proving_ that you liked me." He grins.

"If that's all true, why did you run off? Why didn't you just stay and explain all of this the other night?" Kenma asks, frowning.

Hinata ducks his head. "Oh. Yeah. Well, I wasn't sure what would happen when I transformed back into a human. If there would be an explosion or if I would be naked, heh. I'm really sorry. I know I ran off at, like, the _worst_ time. But I always planned on coming back! I'm sorry if I worried you . . . um, are you mad?"

Kenma isn't sure _what_ he is, but looking at this kid, shuffling back and forth anxiously in front of him, he can't bring himself to be mad. So he shakes his head.

"I guess not," he says.

"Oh, good," Hinata says with obvious relief. "I couldn't stand it if you were mad. I really want to be your friend still."

Kenma starts in surprise, before smiling tentatively. "You do?"

"Of course I do!" Hinata cries, throwing his arms out to the side. "I just said I really liked you." He grins.

Kenma glances sidelong at Kuroo, before turning his gaze to the floor. "You probably shouldn't," he says softly. "You saw how terrible I am . . ."

"You're not terrible!" Hinata grabs his hands, holding them firmly. "Kenma, you're not terrible." He shakes his head. "You made a mistake because you were scared. I know what that's like. But it's so obvious that you love Kuroo, so everything will be okay!"

Kenma stiffens, and beside him he can feel Kuroo do the same. Hinata must catch the change in atmosphere, because he glances between them quickly, his eyes widening.

"Oh! You didn't tell him yet?" he asks, incredulous. "KENMAAAA! You gotta tell him! He has to know!"

"Kenma?"

Kuroo's watching him, and the tentative hope in his expression makes Kenma want to run away. But he inhales shakily, steeling himself, before turning to face him.

"It's true," he says, his voice not as strong as he would've liked. He clears his throat and tries again. "I-I . . ." He finds he can't hold Kuroo's gaze, and his eyes flit to the side. Hinata gives his hand an encouraging squeeze. "I love you."

"He has for a long time!" Hinata exclaims.

Kenma gives him a withering look, and Hinata clasps his hand over his mouth. It's obvious he's still smiling, however, given the twinkle in his eye. Kenma feels a touch to his chin; Kuroo turns his head gently with the tips of his fingers.

"Keep going," he says quietly, and Kenma can feel the way his hand is shaking.

Kenma reaches up to take it with his other hand, lacing his fingers through his. "I thought I just liked the attention," he admitted. "And I did. I do. But then . . . I realized that I didn't want just anyone's attention, I wanted _yours_. And . . . I didn't want your attention to be on anyone else, only _me_. I-I wanted to be yours, and I wanted you to be mine. Exclusively. I just . . . didn't realize it until I almost lost you." He can't hold eye contact anymore, and his gaze falls to the floor.

His chest aches, but the firm grasp of Hinata's hand strengthens him, and the gentle hold of Kuroo's in his other helps loosen his tongue.

"You're amazing, Kuro. You're good and helpful and strong. You push me when I need to be pushed, but you give me space too, when you know I need it. You know me better than anyone. You dropped everything to come help me when Sun-Hinata went missing. You have so much love and kindness in your heart . . . I-I don't deserve it. I don't deserve any of it. But you're still there. And I-I don't want to be apart from you. Ever. And I-I know that's selfish, and I know I should let you go to be happy with someone good who deserves it. But I—"

He doesn't get a chance to finish. Kuroo leans down, cupping his face with his free hand, as he kisses him. And this kiss is so much different from the one Kenma forced on him. It's soft and gentle, but with an urgency and passion that takes Kenma's breath away. He trembles, shutting his eyes and moving his lips with the same pressure and affection that Kuroo's giving.

His knees feel weak, and he starts to lean into Kuroo's chest, when he feels resistance. That's when he remembers Hinata, the fact that he's still holding his hand, and the fact that they're kissing right in front of him.

He pulls away, face burning, but Hinata doesn't make fun of them. Instead, he nods encouragingly. "You don't have to stop!" he chirps. "Just pretend I’m not here!"

Kuroo laughs. "You cheeky cat," he says, reaching out to wrap his arm around Hinata's neck. He draws him closer, releasing Kenma's hand in order to wrap his arm around Kenma's waist, pulling them both into a firm hug.

"Thank you," he says into Hinata's ear, before his warm breath ghosts over Kenma's.

"You were right about one thing," he says. "I do know you. And I know you only did what you did because you were afraid. But you never have to be afraid of losing me, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

Kenma reaches up to curl his fingers into Kuroo's shirt, holding it as tightly as he's holding Hinata's hand.

"I want you to be happy," Kenma murmurs. "That's how I knew I loved you. I-I realized I want you to be happy more than I want to be happy myself . . ."

" _You_ make me happy," Kuroo says, almost fiercely, as he grips them both closer to his chest.

"You make me happy, too!" Hinata says, pressing a kiss to Kenma's temple.

"Promise?" Kenma asks, desperately wishing for it to be true.

"Promise," Kuroo and Hinata say in unison, before laughing together.

Kenma's heart swells in his chest. He allows himself to relax, resting his head against Kuroo's chest, as he listens to the steady yet rapid beat of it. He's still not convinced that he's not a terrible person, but if Kuroo and Hinata are both willing to look past his flaws and love him anyway, well, he's certainly not going to complain.

He loves them both in return, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> and the three of them lived happily ever after XD
> 
> http://shions-heart.tumblr.com/


End file.
